Hi peeps. We have been offered a large caravan. It has a spongey floor and needs some minor internal work to bring it back to life. The van is situated near Brands Hatch. Can anyone recommend a caravan mechanic locally that I could call. It is on site at the moment and needs to be moved to be repaired. It will make a great van for us. If not, back to ebay and mega monies. THank you so much for reading this.
A spongey floor sounds like there is a damp problem that may spread a lot further than the floor. DIY rectification could be very time-consuming, and paying for the work could cost more than the van is worth.
Before committing yourself, find out the age and model of the van. Try to find out what it should cost to buy in acceptable condition. Try to find someone who will inspect the van on site, and give you a cost for putting it in order.
Your brief comments suggest that it may be better to walk away from this van.
Hi nikiandsimon , if the floor is springy ( sinks a bit when you stand on it ) then it sounds like delamination , you could fix this yourself , do a search on this website for delamination and you should find all the info you need .
Having just (unintentionally!) bought a 'do it upper' I would second The 2 Tops post.
However, If you really like the van get a damp meter and check everywhere . If it is just the floor delaminating it's not a horrendous DIY job, a bit messy, and will probably mean changing the carpets once done. But if theres no other big (DAMP) problems & you've fallen in love with it - in my opinion it's do-able with relatively little DIY skill.
hi,delamination...frightening no if you set out your stall and take your time.this is not a two hour job as stated,when you have finished you will know why they charge so much at the caravan repair shop.i have just done ours a few months ago.i will go through the steps best i can.ours had gone in two places,next to the door entrance and next to the sink four feet away.you will find that delamination is where the floor is used most.ie next to the sink and the door entrance.first decide how much delamination you have,ie.2 feet (old school) or 6 feet,this information is required when you go to order your epoxi resin mix.one mix will cover about 3 feet by 3 feet.got mine from barrons £25 for both tins.you also need a large syringe to inject the mixed epoxi resin.this will also sell.also the chemicals (glue) are called apollo 1 and apollo 2.i think the code is A8136.the small tin is the hardener and must be used in the time on the tin.the first thing is to remove all carpets or lino.second(must) tape up all joints and the cowls under the caravan .use a good tape.ie brown packing tape,3 in wide.if you dont the glue will run out on to the ground outside through all the seams.you will not know until you see a pool on the path..third ,support the floor under the van in some way so it cannnot bend when pressure is placed on top,do not push up the floor.you can damage the fittings inside.use wood blocks stacked up just touching the floor on the underside in the same place as the delamination.fourth find a sharp 10mm drill .you need to buy 10 mm round wood to cut and plug the holes,sold in 6 foot lengths.this needs cutting into plugs,half inch long and sanded down at one end to make it go in easy.the next step is to do a test hole,find a place that has no gas pipes on the underside.slowly drill one hole until it only just touches the plywood at the bottom.DO NOT DRILL THROUGH.tape up the drill at this depth,use plenty of tape to stop the drill going deeper than it should.mark out the area of delamination,black marker,in a square grid pattern of 4 inch each way .when finished you will have a large square full of holes to the size of the delamination.ie.3 x 3 feet.clean away all and any dust or shavings.have a large polythene bag ready to put over the square,the glue does not stick to polythene.you need a tin or old pan to mix into of the correct size for size of mix.a clean strong stick to stir the mix.only mix what you need within the time allowed.start at the rear end injecting the holes one by one until it flows out then plug with the wood plug.when finished ,place poly bag over all holes.put a heavy weight on top ie.wheels and tyres or gas bottles.leave for 24 hours to dry.sand down all plugs until smooth.you must wear a mask for the fumes and open the windows when you are doing the job.rubber gloves are handy too.CHECK UNDERSIDE FOR GAS PIPES BEFORE STARTING.wish i could type. thought this may help
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Hi there everyone. I cant believe how helpful you all are. Having read and re read all the options, I really think that this one is going to have to be missed. We have also heard that there is more damp inside than we already knew about . It appears that the front of the caravan (around the 3 windows) is rotten and also needs replacing. The sky light is broken (!!!!), the cassette is missing from the loo etc etc etc. THink it will have to be another look around. Should, however, anyone be selling a 4/5 berth caravan (himself is 6'2 so has to be quite big) .... without damp and major problems, please let us know. We are also in a dilema as we will be 50 miles from where the van will be sited and we know NOTHING about caravan maintence/repairs. This would make renovation a long and hard process. Again, I thank you for all your replies. Kindest regards Niki and Himself (Simon) x
Good decision, Niki and Simon. There have been so many posts from people new to caravanning, saying how they have bought their first van, only to find that it has major problems that must be repaired before they can use it.
Most people selling vans in poor condition are aware of the problems (usually the reason to sell), and to unload them onto unsuspecting newcomers is , IMO, rather callous. It is not the ideal introduction to caravanning; enthusiasm can be quashed even before the buyer gets a chance to enjoy the freedom that it brings.
A quick crash course on repairs can be had here. I do not know what I would have done if i hadn't seen this site before I discovered that the front end of my (first ever) caravan was completely rotten.
http://hp-h.com/p/wizard41/
Now I know what to look for when I next go to buy a van, but was completely unaware of what pitfalls await the unguided novice!
If you check "Barneys Website" you will see what a steep learning curve it has been for me. But it is not impossible, just takes time and effort. Barneys Website
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Caravan repairs help needed pls
thought this may help
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